This particular
Bonsai style often referred to as
the forest, is exactly as you would
expect it to be. A collection of
Bonsai trees are living together in
the same Bonsai pot or container.
Unlike other Bonsai techniques any
variety will suffice. However, with
the Yose Bonsai technique all the
trees are of the same type. The
reason for this is that a collection
of differing varieties housed
together within a single Bonsai pot
or container would make water
regulation, soil type and climate
variations almost impossible to
control.
As with a few Bonsai styles the
Yose style offers a few sub-designs referenced by the
amount of Bonsais present in the pot. Sambon-Yose has
three trunks in the pot, Gohon-Yose has five,
Nanahon-Yose has seven and Kyuhon-Yose has a staggering
nine present and for obvious the more Bonsais living
together there is, the more difficult the task.
It's not uncommon in certain cases
for a Bonsai using the Yose style to self seed from a
single root beneath the soil. This can cause the Bonsai
trunk to be more elevated and appear similar to a normal
branch rather than a trunk. When this happens the name
given is the Kabudachi style. The main difference from a
normal collection in this instance is that at the foot
of the Bonsai tree there is a group congregation in the
centre of the Bonsai pot.
Korabuki Bonsai Style – Commonly
called the Raft
In their natural environment, trees
are effected by all types of weather conditions, but
often they are completely vulnerable to the underlying
soil. Over time rain alters the balance of the ground;
part of the trees root system may grow, or even protrude
the surface. All these effects when combined will
eventually weaken the tree and often cause it to heavily
slant.
That said, trees are remarkably
resilient to Mother Nature and have the ability to adapt
to survive whilst exposed to the most hazardous
conditions. This can be seen even when growing on the
horizontal, provided of course that there is plenty of
soil that is constantly covering the roots the tree
should continue to thrive.
As with the vast majority of bonsai
styles, the Bonsai enthusiast’s main goal is to simulate
nature as closely as possible. This is especially true
with the Korabuki Bonsai style.
Sub-variety of this style include
the Ikadabuki or the straight line Bonsai, in which the
Bonsai trunk is elevated completely clear of the soil.
Commonly, with the Ikadabuki style the trunk will live
just level with the surface, but it’s not uncommon for
it to grow like the Kengai.
The Bonsai trunk can also sit at a
slant, more noticeably under the soil. When this
happened the bark beneath the soil will rot overtime due
to the moisture and small insects that may feed from it.
In the vast majority of cases the
Bonsai trunk will be give permission to grow plenty of
branches that appear very similar to individual Bonsai
trunks.
Other variations include the
Netsunagari which is commonly called the Sinuous Bonsai
style and is of the more exotic varieties. With this
variant the Bonsai roots flow through the soil like
underground tunnels causing the trunks to become highly
twisted
With so many aspects relating to
the Japanese way of life, the mixing of obvious
differences is never truer than in the layout and
interpretation of a Bonsai tree. It is rightly
considered one the most established and respected art
forms throughout the world today.
